Tissue holder



Jan. 11, 1966 w BRACKEN 3,228,618

TIS SUE HOLDER Filed Dec. 11, 1965 I NVEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,228,618 TISSUE HOLDER William A. Bracken, 2918 Pike Ave., North Little Rock, Ark. Filed Dec. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 329,723 Claims. (Cl. 24255.2)

This invention relates to a tissue holder and has particular applicability to a holder for toilet tissue.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved relatively simple holder for rolled toilet tissue which is adapted to be suspended from the end of the toilet tank beneath the lid thereof so as to be in a position to be readily accessible and available.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which may be readily stamped or formed from sheet metal or plastic with a minimum of effort, diificulty, and expense.

A further object is the provision of such device which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble, and utilize.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and shown in the accompanying drawing wherein there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a toilet tank showing two of the tissue holders of the instant invention applied thereto.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged end elevational view of the tissue holder taken substantially along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIGURE 2 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taekn substantially along the line 44 of FIGURE 3 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is an exploded plan view of the two blanks [from which the tissue holder is formed.

Similar reference characters refen to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, the tissue holder of the instant invention is generally indicated at and is shown in FIGURE 1 as applied to the ends of the tank 11 of the toilet 12, the tank being provided with a lid 13. The device 10 is shown as applied in the illustrative embodiment to both ends of the toilet tank, although in practice it may be applied to either end in accordance with structural requirements. Alternatively, the holder may be secured to the front of the tank in those situations where there is insufficient room at either end.

The holder 10 is comprised essentially of two elements, the plate generally indicated at 11 and an arm generally indicated at 12. The plate consists of a substantially rectangular plate or face portion 13 which is provided with a marginal flange 14 which extends inwardly or rearwardly about the four sides thereof. The inner ends of the flange may be reverted as at 15 to extend parallel to the plate portion 13, as best shown in FIGURE 3 to provide additional strength, and the ends 16 of the flanges along two parallel sides may be positioned interiorly of the flanges along the other two parallel sides to provide additional strength. A tongue 17 is provided along the top edge of the blank from which the material is formed, as shown in FIGURE 5 and is bent along a suitable fold line to provide an upright portion 18 at the inner or bottom side of the top flange 14,

3,228,618 Patented Jan. 11, 12366 a horizontal portion 19 and an inwardly and downward- 1y extending portion 20. The extreme end of the portion 20 is flared or offset outwardly as. shown at 21 so that the hook formed by the tongue 17 may hook over the side, top or front top of the toilet tank, interiorly of the lid 13'. A certain resiliency is occasioned due to the component material of the device which may be either sheet metal, plastic or other desired material so that the plate portion is held securely on the edge of the tank and supported thereby.

Plate portion 13 is provided approximately centrally thereof with a horizontal slot 22 beneath which are positioned two substantially perpendicular but slightly inwardly and downwardly inclined slots 23 adapted for the reception and connection of the arm 12 thereto, in a manner to be described hereinafter.

The arm 12 consists of an essentially channel-shaped member including a top 25 and a pair of depending sides 26 which are tapered from the end adjacent the plate toward the tip thereof. At one end of the top member 25 is a flange 27 which is adapted to engage in the slot 22 and which after assembly is bent upwardly as shown in FIGURE 4 to retain the arm in position. Each of the sides 26 of the channel is provided with a similar flange 28 which is cut away as at 29 to facilitate insertion into the slots 23, the flanges 28 then being bent outwardly as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. It will thus be seen that the insertion of the arm after the blank of FIG- URE 5 is bent to channel position is a relatively simple operation, and the arm once assembled will maintain a rigid relation in substantially perpendicular position relative to the vertically supported plate member 11.

The outer end of top portion 25 is provided with a vertical flange 30 having an arcuate extremity 31, the flange 30 being dimensioned to pass conveniently through the hollow core of a conventional roll of toilet tissue. When the device is mounted as previously described on the end or front of a toilet tank, it Will be seen that a roll of tissue may be readily supported on the arm 12, with the flange 30 normally retaining the same in position, it being noted that the length of the arm 12 is such as to pass entirely through the hollow core of a roll of toilet tissue of conventional width.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved tissue holder which accomplishes all the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A tissue holder comprising a substantially rectangular plate, integral marginal flanges extending around the sides of said plate, a central portion of one of said flanges being extended and reverted to form a spring clip adapted to engage over the top of a toilet tank beneath the lid thereof, said plate having a first slo-t therein substantially at the center extending transversely of said plate relative to said clip, and a pair of said slots substantially perpendicular to said first slot and positioned therebelow, and a roll supporting arm comprised of a channel-shaped member including a top wall having a first external flange at one end engaging in said first slot, and a second upturned flange at its opposite end adapted to hold a roll of tissue thereon, the spaced depending sides of said channel-shaped member having long flanges thereon extending into said pair of slots.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein the sides of said 5 channel-shaped member are tapered toward the top thereof ifIOIn' the ends carrying the flanges engageable in said pair of slots.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein the corners of said 10 flanges carried by the sides of said channel members are cut away to facilitate insertion thereof into the associated slots.

Moore 24255.2 Keil 211-123 X Sanford 211--123 Stone 242-55.2 Janonis 24255.2 Gray 24255.2 Grant 24255.2

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. G. F. MAUTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TISSUE HOLDER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR PLATE, INTEGRAL MARGINAL FLANGES EXTENDING AROUND THE SIDES OF SAID PLATE, A CENTRAL PORTION OF ONE OF SAID FLANGES BEING EXTENDED AND REVERTED TO FORM A SPRING CLIP ADAPTED TO ENGAGE OVER THE TOP OF A TOILET TANK BENEATH THE LID THEREOF, SAID PLATE HAVING A FIRST SLOT THEREIN SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE CENTER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PLATE RELATIVE TO SAID CLIP, AND A PAIR OF SAID SLOTS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID FIRST SLOT AND POSITIONED THEREBELOW, AND A ROLL SUPPORTING ARM COMPRISED OF A CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER INCLUDING A TOP WALL HAVING A FIRST EXTERNAL FLANGE AT ONE END ENGAGING IN SAID FIRST SLOT, AND A SECOND UPTURNED FLANGE AT ITS OPPOSITE END ADAPTED TO HOLD A ROLL OF TISSUE THEREON, THE SPACED DEPENDING SIDES OF SAID CHANNEL-SHAPED MEMBER HAVING LONG FLANGES THEREON EXTENDING INTO SAID PAIR OF SLOTS. 